I never cease to be amazed at how God blesses our lives by providing for our needs before we even know we need them. The most dramatic one happened with our now 17 year old grandson who has Cystic Fibrosis. Before he had a liver transplant at age 10, he had a problem with his platelets and every time he had surgery, he needed them. Friends always came through in the days prior to make sure plenty were available. After one particular surgery, several units of platelets were left over and stored at the blood bank to be discarded in a few days. Several days later Robert Mikell began bleeding and went to the emergency room. He needed platelets, buy there was no time to notify friends for donations. The nurse checked with the blood bank and his platelets were still there from the previous surgery, due to be disposed of at midnight that night. Around 11 PM the platelets were rushed to TCH in Houston and saved his life. God knew RM would need those extra platelets and provided them. What we thought was extra and just going to waste, was actually God taking care of RM before anyone knew it would be needed.
Then this year I was the recipient of God's abundant blessings. I received a very nice royalty check in March from my first series. We put it in my business account and used it to pay some bills and expenses for a few writing related trips and speaking engagements. At the time I wondered what we would do with the money left and how nice it was to have a little extra in the bank after years of struggling to make ends meet on our retirement and SS income. Then in May my 88 year old aunt in Washington D.C. was diagnosed with lung cancer among other health problems. She and her mentally challenged son (in his sixties) had made a mess of their bills and finances and she needed an evaluation of needs and some other things, but no money was available. My sister and I were able to step in and help take care of their needs and help financially. Then a few weeks later, my husband's sister was diagnosed with an inoperable, fast growing brain tumor with only weeks to live. Rex and I were able to fly to Roswell over the Memorial Day weekend and stay from Friday until Tuesday to be with her and his other siblings for a wonderful visit. We were able to help my aunt and pay cash for our trip all because God provided the funds back in March. We would never have been able to do any of it without going into debt, but God knew we'd need it and took care of us.
Our God is never too late, never too early, but always right on time. He takes care of us like no other, and our Lord and Savior promised to never leave us or forsake us. Even when times are so bad we don't know how we can exist much longer, God will step up and provide when we least expect it and sometimes in the most miraculous ways. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow.
Answer this question and leave a comment to be included in the drawing from this post.
How has God provided for your needs in a special way?
15 comments:
Martha, your post is so true. Having God meet my needs has become an important fiber in the fabric of my life.
The very first time it happened back in the 1970s will always be a bright time in my life.
James and I were invited to go on a Lay Witness Mission--our first invitation to do that. We had no money to use. I was going to send our thanks and regrets for not going, but we were very busy that week. We were hosting six or seven ORU students who could afford to to go a special week-long meeting in our area, but couldn't afford housing. While they were here, James and I received a letter with an anonymous donation of $100 with the notation "For a Lay Witness Mission." We hadn't told anyone about our invitation. We shared all that happened with the students. The very idea blessed them, too.
The day they were leaving, James went to work, and I had to take our daughters somewhere, so we just told the students to lock the door behind them when they left. When we arrived home, they left a note with another $100 cash on our dining room table.
We went to the Lay Witness Mission in far northern Colorado. I wrote down every penny we spent on the trip. You guessed it--exactly $200.
Oh, Lena, I love stories like that. God is soooo good...all the time.
This has happened to me so many times! The most recent: After much prayer, I felt like God led me (and my husband) to co-sign on an apartment for one of our children.
Fast-forward a couple of months and I was in a two-mile-an-hour fender-bender which resulted in an insurance check that more than covered a month's rent we would soon be called upon to pay. Rather than seeing the hole in my bumper as an eyesore, I see it as proof of God's provision.
Ann_Lee_Miller[at]msn[dot]com
'09 and the first of '10 were very hard years for us financially. My husband ended up losing about 40% of his income during that time. (Still hasn't bounced back and prob won't.) I fretted and worried and hunkered down wondering what we would do. Our savings was depleted just paying weekly bills. Every week we went farther behind. I told the Lord if He could just find me a job to make $2000 to get ahead and pay some hosp bills, we'd make it thru.
You guessed it. God blessed me with a part time job that ended up last all thru the summer. That job has led to another fluctuating position that could last the rest of my life. What a blessing! God knows I don't really want to work full-time while I pursue my writing. This position pays well & is perfect for my writing goals. I asked for a little and he filled my basket to overflowing.
Martha -
Happy Birthday! What an encouraging post!
The Lord has provided for my husband, Fred, and me over the six years we've been married. He has allowed me to not work the last couple years, which has allowed me to focus on my blog, 'Ponderings by Andrea' (http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com) and volunteer at church in various capacities (directing on the Video Tech Team, etc...). Now he is leading me to be a consultant with Thirty-One Gifts (www.thirtyonegifts.com), a faith-based company that makes some adorable products! So we've seen His hand in so many areas!
Martha, thanks for hostessing this contest, and asking this question, which gives us the opportunity to reflect on our blessings!
Thanks & Happy Birthday -
Andrea Schultz
andrealschultz at gmail dot com
Love your story, Martha. God has been so amazingly faithful to you as you've been faithful to Him. I love how He always knows our needs before we do. And He's already made a way.
Thanks for your stories. They inspire me.
Ann, your story proves God does have a sense of humor in the way He does some things...a fender bender. :)
Teresa, God is amazing, and always gives abundantly.
Andrea, I can't believe you're a Thirty-One rep. I just got one of their purses and LOVE it. My niece-in-law sells them. It looks like a fabulous company
Oh my yes, God sure has provided. But before I tell you how, I want to say how much your post blessed me. Especially about the "extra" platelets. That touched my heart so deeply. And about the way you had money to help others too. That is my desire, to have money to help others when they have a need. After all, what good is money if you can't use it to help someone.
Okay, here's one of our greatest needs God supplied in a huge way. A couple of years ago, our 17 year old truck kept breaking down. My husband wasn't getting many hours at work and he had to do side jobs. But, he couldn't with our truck being unreliable. Plus, he was working side jobs and having to fix our pickup. He was exhausted. We kept praying for a vehicle and telling God we could not afford a payment as we live from paycheck to paycheck now. Well, to make a long story short. God provided a 2005 Dodge Ram pickup with only 46K miles on it in a miraculous way. If you know anything about how much even a used truck cost, you will know this is a ginormous blessing. We received two very large checks and when we bought the truck, and not just any truck, the truck of my husband's heart's desire, by the time we paid for it with cash, bought the plates, paid the taxes, and topped off the gas tank, it came to the exact amount of the money we were given.
You know, I really needed to read your post today and to relive this blessing. I was questioning God today, asking if He really cared about people. I have a friend who recently lost her father a few weeks ago and now she has been evacuated from her home due to the fires raging near her residence. My heart is breaking for her and it made me wonder where God was in all this suffering. If He really cared and how He could sit back and watch people suffering. This reminded me that He does care. Thank you, Martha, for listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit...AGAIN. You bless me more than you will ever know with your VOTW and now this.
God bless you.
Debra Ullrick
P.S. HAPPY 75TH BIRTHDAY, MARTHA!
I really enjoyed everyone's posts. The fender bender one tickled me. And, Lena, I loved your to the penny testimony.
Reminded me of our truck story.
Thanks again, Martha, for this fabulous post. I'm going to check back in all day. I want to hear more stories about God's provision. Can't wait.
God provided for our needs two years ago when my husband had a severe ski injury and was out of work for several months. Every financial need we had God provided for it. Always on time. Even though my husband still has health issues since the accident, God continues to take care of us.
Blessings,
Jodie Wolfe
digging4pearls(at)comcast(dot)net
Thanks everyone for dropping by and sharing. Teresam, Jodie, and Debra are the three finalists from today's post. Drop in again today for the new post and more chances to win the birthday surprise package.
It is great to hear your testimony of God's provision and the testimonies others shared as well!
The Lord is my Jehovah Jireh ("My Provider"). My uncle carved that into the cement on the front steps of the house I grew up in. When it rained it showed up, just as God always does. A wonderful reminder that I've taken with me throughout my life. His resources are not always financial, but they are abundant!
Happy birthday!
With the layoffs recently at my husband's job site, I'm aware that it is foolish to take jobs for granted. I'm grateful that he has a job that supplies so many of our needs. This is a good gift from our loving Heavenly Father.
Martha, God has always been there when we needed Him. But one "little" incident pops to mind immediately.
Clear back in 1980, during a recession similar to the one our country is going through now, my husband and I were barely making it. In fact, we really weren't. We were behind on every bill, he was unemployed, we were expecting our third child and living of the generosity of others. One day, we were at the end--no food, no gas, no nothing. I sat down to balance our check book (I was careful to do that every month). This time, I discovered I had $100.00 more than I thought. I went back four months and found the $100.00 error. Why I hadn't found it previously--only God can answer that one. : - ) It was enough to get us by until He came to the rescue once again.
Wonderful example, Bonnie. We had an insurance premium due and no way to pay it and we had to have the insurance. A check arrived in the mail from my mother who sold some craft items at a craft show and said God told her we needed the money. Yeah, the check was the exact amount of the insurance payment. God is good all the time.
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